Brooder.



P. S. MARTIN.

BROODER.

APPUCATION FILED MAR. H. 1M5

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

11413911 604 Parry 55- Mariya, Q.

PERRY s. MARTIN, or BROADWAY, 'vrncrnrn.

BROODER.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Oct. 3, 19116 v Application filed March 11, 1915. Serial No. 13,553.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY S. MARTIN, of Broadway, in the county of Rockingham and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breeders, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs.

My invention relates to a curtain to be used in connection especially with large -brooders which are known as colony brooders, so arranged as to surround the brooder, and provide, it with independent means for its Vertical adjustment, and also with means for varying its diameter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I, is a plan view of a brooder having a curtain embodying my invention applied to 1t. Fig. II, is a vertical section of the same.

Figs. III, and IV, are detail sectional views of the curtain supports. Fig. V, is a face view showing one of the clips in position on the curtain ring.

" The brooder to which my invention is shown as applied, comprises a combustion chamber 1, provided with a flue 2. 'The upper part of the combustion chamber is surrounded by a radiating chamber .3, and this in turn is surmounted by a hood or de- Hector 4, so arranged as to deflect all the heat radiating from the chamber 3, in order that a maximum amount of the heat may be utilized beneath the hood. The heat is thereaccomplish this function. that a brooder of this character should be .in extremely cold weather.

surrounded by a curtain reaching to the floor, in order that the chicks may be protected from floor drafts, during the nlght or On the other hand, there are times when it is desirable that the curtain. shall not be present or if present, shall be raised sufficiently from the floor to permit the chicks to runfreely beneath its lower edge, and permit the c1rculation of the air along the floor andbeli a neath the deflector. Such curtains have hitherto been attached to the edge of the deflector, and in order to be capable of vertical adjustment, means have been provided for raising or lowering the deflector, thereby carrying the curtain with it. This is objectionable, because it requires an alteration in the vertical position of the deflector,

which varies the rate at which the heat from the radlator is deflected upon the chicks beneatlL. Accordingly, instead of attaching the curtain to the edge of the deflector 4, I provide a hoop 6, which is suspended so as to encircle the edge of thedeflector, and from which the curtain is independently suspended. The hoop 6, is split, and atranged with its ends overlapqiing as seen at 7. A

curtain 8, is provided with a hem 9, at the top, and through this hem the-hoop is passed;

The overlapping ends of the hoop are arranged to be united by a catch 10, best illustrated in Figs. IV, and V. By increasing the amount of the-overlap, the diameter of the hoop is decreased, so as to adjust the distance between the hoop and the edge of the deflector in any desired way. The hoop is suspended by a plurality of wires orcords 12, suspended from overhead in any convenient manner. These wires terminate in hooks 13, which are adapted to engage within the links of chains 15, attached at equal distances about the hoop by means of hooks 16, illustrated in detail in Fig. III. The height at which the hoop is suspended may be adjusted by engaging the hooks 13, at

various points along the chains. This feature of adjustment may readilybe' understood by reference to Fig. II, of the drawings.

By means of cords 12, the curtain 8, may be suspended around the brooder at any desired height. It is customary to raise the curtain in the day time sufliciently to permit the chicks to pass under the edge of it, and permit the circulation of air along the floor, but to lower it at night, in order to shield them effectually from floor drafts, and this is accomplished without alteration of the position of the deflector 4. The variation in the diameter of the curtain which is rendered possible by the overlapping of the ends of the hoop permits a variation of the annular space between the hoop and the edge of the deflector. Since this annular space communicates directly with the surrounding atmosphere the amount of ventilation which the space under the breeder receives may be appropriately controlled as well as the amount of heat passing from the heater to the room in which the breeder is contained.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A brooder comprising a heater and a deflector, a hoop surrounding said deflector, providing an annular space between the hoop and the deflector, means for suspending said hoop independently of the deflector, a curtain attached to and depending from said hoop, means whereby the size of said annular space may be varied, and means whereby said hoop and curtain may be raised and lowered without affecting the position of the deflector.

2. A brooder comprising a heater and a deflector, a split hoop with overlapping ends surrounding the same, means for suspending said hoop independent of the deflector, a curtain attached to and depending from said hoop, and means for varying the amount of overlap at the'ends of the hoop so as to correspondingly vary the diameter of the curtain, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this twenty-sixth day of February, 1915.

PERRY S. MARTIN. Witnesses:

JAMEs H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON. 

